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Here is a quick write-up of what transpired in Dearborn as ROH taped 4 weeks worth of TV tonight and sent off Kevin Steen.
Bobby Cruise announced that due to food poisoning, Michael Bennett would not appear.
Dark Match: Will Ferrera over Jonathan Gresham with a roll-up and tight grab.
EPISODE #1
1. ROH World Tag Team Title Match: reDRagon of Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly (c) over Monster Mafia (not announced as such) of Josh Alexander & Ethan Gabriel Owens (Ethan Page) to retain. Really hot opener with good action and some very good near falls late. Alexander looked really good. He had amateur wrestling headgear on and that led to the crowd chanting "Headgear, Headgear, Headgear & We Want Headgear."
2. Moose over Hakim Zane. Moose has a very hip-hop, catchy entrance theme that immediately got fans into him. Zane used speed & quickness, but Moose was too much as he turned him inside out with a spear for the win.
3. Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian over The Decade of Roderick Strong & Jimmy Jacobs, Jay & Mark Briscoe and WAR Machine of Hanson & Raymond Rowe to earn a future shot at the ROH World Tag Titles. Early part of the match was each guy getting a slot in the match opposing another with quick tags, giving everyone about equal ring time. It got a little wild with The Briscoes & WAR Machine going toe to toe and when that settled, it was Decade, primarily Strong, working over Christopher Daniels. Pre-match, Jacobs had put the bad mouth on both guys for being gone and then returning, the theme of the Decade since their debut about former ROH guys returning. After a good stretch with Daniels getting beat down, Kazarian finally made the hot tag and turned things around. The Briscoes and WAR Machine also got involved with nearfalls and big moves towards the end, before Daniels recovered enough and was able to nail Roddy with the Best Moonsault Ever to get the pinfall. Jacobs & Strong immediately attacked post match, but were fended off by the other two teams, with Briscoes & WAR Machine having their matter remain unresolved.
EPISODE #2
This episode was the Golden Gauntlet Match, which was announced as the winner getting a future shot at the ROH World Title on TV and online it was presented as the winner getting his shot on 8/9 in Philly.
1a. BJ Whitmer over Caprice Coleman
1b. Matt Taven over BJ Whitmer
1c. Matt Taven over The Romantic Touch
1d. Jay Lethal over Matt Taven
1e. Cedric Alexander over Jay Lethal to win the match
This match was quite long, with the first half not being incredibly exciting or newsworthy. When Touch entered, he and Taven did some miming ala when there were two Doink the Clowns back in the back, since Taven's been dressing up as Touch.
Things really picked up when Lethal came out. Fans really were into it. Taven rammed Selyzia Sparks & Truth Martini's heads together, eliminating them from the match. After good back and forth action, Jay Diesel interfered and it created the opening for Lethal to nail the Lethal Injection & advance.
Cedric was out next and the entire segment with Lethal was great. Super competitive, with Cedric hanging really tough and battling big time. Lethal was calling for Truth & Sparks, but they never showed. Cedric perfectly executed his finisher, I believe called Concussion on Delivery, to end this one. It was treated like a big deal. I look forward to Elgin-Cedric!
That long bout seemed to take the wind out of the sails of the fans. This was quite possibly the biggest crowd ROH has drawn in the Detroit area since the late 2000's. I'd say there were easily 850-900 people in attendance, many standing SRO, since all GA chairs were filled.
EPISODE #3
1. Adam Cole over Rocky Romero. Another really good match, and this got fans back into it. It was paced well enough to allow that to happen. Cole had his mouth busted open early, as Romero hit a great dive through the ropes. Cole took over and worked the legs, before finally using the Figure Four to finish things off.
2. Tommaso Ciampa over Adam Page w/ Roderick Strong. This was a real surprise. Page was super competitive. Ciampa seemed a little pre-occupied with Strong as well. Ciampa won with Project Ciampa and cut an "angry" promo about being overlooked by everyone and that he wanted a shot at Michael Elgin.
Silas Young interrupted and told Ciampa that when he wins the title on 8/22 in Milwaukee, he wouldn't be handing out title shots like Elgin was. Ciampa popped him in the mouth and sent Silas fleeing.
3. ROH World Title Match: MIchael Elgin (c) over Kyle O'Reilly w/ Bobby Fish. Elgin called out a mentor to him, Tyson Dux, to even the sides with Fish in O'Reilly's corner. This was a fantastic match, quite possibly the best of the night. It was very hard-hitting and O'Reilly was a wizard with the armbar submissions and hangman's clutch chokes throughout. Fans were into it big. Elgin was finally able to survive and nail a wicked powerbomb for the win.
Post-match, Silas, then Ciampa, then Cole, then Cedric hit the ring. Then The Briscoes, then WAR Machine and a huge brawl erupted in and around the ring. Elgin was out inside, recovering. Mark Briscoe nailed a moonsault on the collection on the mass on the floor. Alexander was next and nailed a swanton style dive, high over the top ropes to everyone on the floor.
Cole returned to the ring and grabbed the ROH World Title, setting up to smash Elgin with it. It doesn't happen and for his trouble, Elgin powerbombed Cole onto the still recovering group at ringside.
Episode #3 is must-see in my opinion!
Intermission was taken, which was odd at the time of night but good since the segment preceding it was HOT! It was announced that ROH returns to Michigan, debuting in Kalamazoo (the main city where the Sinclair owned TV station resides) on Saturday, October 11, 2014.
Episode #4
1. ACH over Tadarius Thomas w/ Jimmy Jacobs & Adam Page. Another simply incredible match. ACH made the offense of Thomas look like a million bucks! ACH also bled from the mouth in this one. There was some tremendous, high-energy offense as well, ACH nailed a 450 Splash for the pinfall.
Post-match, Jacobs told Thomas that losing was not acceptable and was joined by BJ Whitmer in "punishing" both Decade "Young Boys" with a physical beatdown. Both Page and Thomas appeared ready to stand up and fight back, but opted to heed the directives from the veterans.
2. Tyson Dux over Takaaki Watanabe. Not much more than a chance for fans to catch their breath before the main event. Dux won with a sliding lariat.
3. "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen over Steve Corino.
Steen was showed with streamers upon his entrance into the ring. He rolled in them, did snow angels and much more, having a great time. As Bobby Cruise started the intros, he was stopped by Corino, who handed him a paper ala 2003 when Cruise was Corino's personal ring announcer. This was classic! It was a list of previous greats, who like Steen, had gone on to much more after their ROH runs: Austin Aries, Claudio Castagnoli, Colt Cabana, El Generico, Kerry Von Erich....no, Kevin Von Erich....no, No Von Erich brothers, Eddie Edwards, Eddie Edwards's Partner (a shot a Davey - ouch!), Tyler Black, Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson and CM Punk. This was over HUGE with fans soaking it up, and Steen too. Midway through, Corino offered Cruise a refresher from a bottled water, but Cruise pulled out an airplane bottle of liquor (vodka maybe) and threw that back before concluding and intro'ing Corino, then Steen with great emphasis and dramatic pause. Steen really was holding it together well, as fans, in unison, chanted many pro-Steen chants.
Corino threw the first punch and it was on. Fists were flying early, then it went to the floor. Steen grabbed a Generico mask from a fan and put it on. Doing so allowed him to channel "The Generic Luchadore" and nail a nice pair of Ole' Kicks! Unmasked and back into the ring, Steen continued on offense and paid homage to Colt Cabana, with a Flying Asshole onto Corino in the corner.
The match spilled back on the floor and both men met with a double clothesline, that resulted in a long 19 count for both men. Steen continued to attack and Corino fought back, neither man giving in. Steen was unsuccessful in attempting a Package Piledriver, but did nail F-Cinq and finally was able to hit the Package Piledriver to get the win!
As soon as the pinfall was counted, you could see and tell the wave of emotion that washed over him. It was really special. He eventually helped Corino up and they hugged. Jimmy Jacobs hit the ring and stared at both men, just about a year removed from the end of the SCUM era. Jacobs jumped onto to Steen and hugged him too! Jacobs, Steen and Corino all then hugged, but Roderick Strong & BJ Whitmer hit the ring, showing Jacobs' move to be a set-up, and they attacked Steen & Corino. Steen fought them off and sent them off with a double clothesline.
At this point, the entire locker room minus The Decade hit the ring, with balloons, party hats, champagne, silly string and more. Steen gave a great speech, thanking Cary Silkin for there being a ROH and place to call "home," he thanked Christopher Daniels for being a strong vet 10 years ago to teach Steen the "right" way to act in pro wrestling and do so in a positive way, he thanked for Briscoes for their role in solidifying the spots of Steen & Generico in early 2007 with their great match, he thank Nigel McGuinness, he thanked the ring crew, he thanked each and every one of the fans, he thanked Todd Sinclair and called him the best referee, he put over Michael Elgin and called Cedric Alexander "The Future" of ROH. He thanked Sinclair Broadcasting for helping ROH move ahead and thrive. He was then toasted by the wrestlers and others in the ring and hugged everyone to close the show.
This might have been the most genuine celebration and send-off for a wrestler from ROH ever. I had the fortune of being their for Punk's in Chicago and Dragon & Nigel's in NYC and this was just extremely special. A one-of-a-kind, you had to be there-type moment. Steen did one final lap around the ringside area with fans and that was the night!
So, after a good but somewhat flat at times first two episodes, Episodes 3 & 4 were virtual "grand slams" and must watch when they air. A really fun, memorable, great night with ROH.
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